On May 26th Jim McCann is getting the chance to write his favorite character, Dazzler.
THE STORY:
She’s survived Necrosha, but how can Dazzler defend herself against the onslaught of villains from her past that have targeted her all at once?! Dr. Doom! The Enchantress! And Rogue?! And what's worse--they are led by her murderous sister, MORTIS! This is no family reunion, but the disco-ball shattering showdown you’ve been waiting for! Will Alison Blaire survive this blood-soaked trip down memory lane? Find out in this special by fan-favorites Jim McCann (NEW AVENGERS: THE REUNION) and Kalman Andrasofszky (CAPTAIN AMERICA)! One-Shot/Parental Advisory …$3.99
McCann was interviewed recently about this one-shot, and here's what he had to say:
I didn’t want to write her for the sake of writing her. I wanted to write her when I had a story. [Marvel editor] Mike Horwitz asked, ‘do you want to do a Dazzler story, and it would be awesome if she was in the disco outfit. You could do an old-school story, kind of the way the X-Men: First Class stories fit in-between continuity, or whatever.’
So this one-shot wont be in continuity?
Not really he went another way with the story, and tied it to Necrosha:
So I really took a look at the character and realized she was missing a few key points that make a successful character. I think for a character to really succeed they need family, or something close to family, like a best friend, and also a strong rogue’s gallery, or at least an arch-nemesis.
So I looked, and went, ‘wait. You have both archetypes in one character, which was Lois London [Dazzler’s sister]. So I pitched this story and they ran it past the X-office and they said Lois London fit into their Necrosha plans as well. As a villain, I thought that was perfect.
In Necrosha they don’t get a chance to face off against each other. They just meet in passing...and Lois got to scream ‘I hate you!’ at her, and Dazzler was taken aback by the whole situation. This [the one-shot] is where you get to see that battle, that fallout, take place. I don’t want to give too much away that happens in Necrosha, but I will say that Lois is not alone in this.
Personally ever since I read New Avengers: The Reunion, I fell in love with McCann's writing. His style flows very well when it comes to story telling and it never either too slow or to fast-paced.
To be honest Dazzler was never a favorite for me (except when she was with Longshot), but this one-shot catches my eye since McCann is writing it. It's no secret that McCann's favorite character is Dazzler (see left), so we shouldn't feel any doubt that he treated the character right as he wrote her.
How does this affect Dazzler? (You might ask)
In another interview McCann said:
This happens just a few weeks after "Necrosha." I can't say a lot because that event is still going on (And you should all be reading it!!!). But the fact that she finally was reunited with her sister again only to find Lois is a villain known as Mortis, killing Dazzler's friends - that's enough to mess anyone up. She's at a loss of what to do and that is also manifesting itself in her own life, so you could say she's at the biggest crossroads she's ever faced
The plot is simple: survival and what we have to do to achieve that. And I mean that mentally, physically and emotionally. And how two people can show you two different sides of the coin. There is a strong theme of acceptance and rejection that runs through this as well
And lasers. Lots of lasers.
Oooh! Lasers I like the sound of that!
So what about the future of Dazzler?
Next year is the 30th anniversary of her ongoing (this year is the 30th anniversary of her first appearance. You look great, Ali!!), and I would love to do more with her, if they'll let me. Again, I don't want to write her because I'm "that Dazzler guy," I want to write a story that fits the character and adds to her, moving her forward. I have one in mind and will hopefully be bringing that to the table soon. So, we'll see!
In the meantime, the best way to help more Dazzler appearances is to buy this book. Seriously. People point out that her solo series was rather successful, and it was at the time. Today, Dazzler fans are vocal, now let's see them on the march to prove that she deserves a spot on the shelves in today's market. In the words of Dazzler herself, "Go for it!"
So I will be be picking this up. What about you Viners? Need more convincing?
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